Attorney General Paxton testified first. For an hour, he outlined what his office's recently launched investigation has uncovered. Investigators from the Texas Attorney General's office recently toured the "P.O.C." room at a Planned Parenthood facility in Houston. 'P.O.C' stands for 'product of conception'; Planned Parenthood couldn't even refer to their 'medical specimens' as children (Note: Abby Johnson later testified that when she worked at Planned Parenthood they would joke about calling it the 'pieces of children' room.). Inside the 'P.O.C.' room, Planned Parenthood would store the remains of pre-born children in jars until they were ready to be transported for 'disposal.' General Paxton testified that this particular facility 'discards' 260 pounds of 'medical waste' per week.

Following the testimony of several bureaucrats from state agencies, John Seago spoke on behalf of Texas Right to Life. He explained how the raw footage from the Planned Parenthood sting mentions three facilities in Texas. The Houston facility previously discussed by General Paxton was one of their largest "research" facilities in the country. Seago also detailed how, despite improvements, Planned Parenthood was still eligible to collect subsidies from Texas taxpayers. Seago restated Texas Right to Life's categorical opposition to any sort of 'medical research' on the carcasses of aborted children.

Abby Johnson followed Texas Right to Life. She disputed the testimony one of the bureaucrats. Whereas the bureaucrat testified that State inspections of abortion facilities are unannounced, Johnson said that when she worked at Planned Parenthood her facility was inspected during the same week of November every year. This allowed the facility to scrub its records in anticipation of a visit from the state. Johnson's testimony caused several D's to throw a tantrum over 'accusing a state employee of committing perjury.' Of course, Johnson never accused the bureaucrat of lying, just being mistaken. Upon being called to testify a second time, the bureaucrat admitted that she was discussing protocols as they exist on paper, not how they're carried out in real life.

Carol Everett spoke after Johnson. Her testimony largely mirrored Texas Right to Life and Johnson. The most notable part came when she discussed a medical procedure her mother had recently undergone. As part of the procedure, the doctor recommended using placenta. Everett was horrified. As part of the discussion, the doctor explained that 'tissue' obtained via abortion was useless for either medical research or treatment because abortions rarely take place in sanitary conditions.

:This author found Johnson's and Everett's the most eye-opening. The two former abortion industry workers discussed the number abortions performed on a daily basis. Johnson said a Houston clinic in which she worked had a DAILY quota of 75 abortions, which extrapolates to 450 per week and 1800 per month. Everett said she performed 35,000 abortions over six years in the industry, which translates to approximately 20 per day. That's not a medical procedure. , That's not "safe legal and rare." That's genocide.

Finally, Cahnman's Musings would like to commend Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham). Visibly shaken by what she was hearing, Kolkhorst nonetheless managed to ask probing questions that cut to the heart of the matter. Chairman Charles Schwertner (R - Georgetown) also deserves credit for running a diligent, focused, hearing. On the other hand, Senators Sylvia Garcia (D - Houston), Jose Rodriguez (D - El Paso), and Carlos Uresti (D - San Antonio) all admitted they hadn't watched the videos. Senator Craig Estes (R - Whichita Falls) failed to show up at the hearing at all.

Planned Parenthood refused to participate in today's hearing, though their lawyer eventually showed up to deliver written testimony.

It's hard to imagine that pre-born children are being dismembered for profit here in Texas. Unfortunately, today's hearing made clear that that's exactly what's happening. This must stop.